The Family Tree
by Winslow Fisherman
Summary: Sly has something to confess and he's going to share it with you. It's a memory that's been haunting him for years, but he's never been able to share it. It's something terrifying and down right nerve racking, or at least to Sly it is, but let's lead that up to you dear reader. Note: One- shot.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Sly Cooper. Everything else is fictional.**

The Family Tree

You heard my life story of how my parents died by Clockwerk, but I've been suppressing a memory that happened way before Clockwerk. It's one that I keep buried in the back of my head, but the problem is that it activates in my dreams. I've never told anyone about it, but I shall tell it to you, however, you must promise not to tell anyone about it, which includes Bentley, Murray, and Carmelita. Please promise me!

When I was young and had a family, I had this tree with a little swing on it. I would swing on it, but I was only allowed on it during the day. My parents explained it's a family tree that was once just a small thing, and was finally placed here to grow forever. It had great importance during the night, and should never be disturbed at night. I was just a kid then and did the obvious childish reaction. I just nodded, but I planned to sneak out and investigate the tree.

When the moon was out I snuck out the window. I remember the breeze of how cold it was. I should have known it was not good, but I didn't want to listen to it. Once I was on the ground I looked to see the tree open up. A red glow that swirled round and round became visible. I was automatically hypnotized and wanted to know where it went. I approached it and became scared. I could hear screams of figures that I could not recognize, but then something came out of the portal. It was a raccoon with chains wrapped around him. He was dressed in a white night shirt, and had this strange feeling about him. He looked at me and smiled reaching up with a boney hand.

"You must be my great, great, great nephew," the raccoon said in a nice voice.

"Who are you?" I asked it.

"Why I'm your great, great, great uncle Kepan Cooper."

" Strange, you're not in the Thievius Raccoonus."

Kepan Cooper laughed. "Yeah, I wasn't famous enough to make it, but I really am part of the family tree."

"What was your specialty?"

Just then I hear the front house door slam open. "Oh my god, Sly, get away from him!" I hear my father scream.

"Do you really want to know my specialty?" Kepan inquires with a grin.

"Sly Cooper, get your butt here now," I hear my mother scream at me.

"Well, I can change/morph into something else without the use of materials, but I do need something of great importance," Kepan whispers into my ear.

"What's that?" I say shaking a bit.

"I need family flesh!" he roars.

Kepan makes a jump at me, but my father quickly whacks him with the family cane. Kepan falls to the ground, and tries to move towards me. I see these eyes that haunt my mind to this day. They were blood thirsty, and not at all normal. The chains around Kepan pull him backwards and he screams to me to help him. He says he promises to teach me how to change without materials. Inside I can feel my heart thumping, and my brain wanting to know. My soul wants to learn this move, but my mother holds me.

"Let me go mom, I want to know!" I scream loudly.

"That's it nephew, scream for the true desires. Join me in the world that has so much knowledge. I am your best uncle, and I love you. I want you to learn," I hear Kepan holler in enthusiastic delight.

"Go back to hell Kepan," my father screams as he gives a hard swing with the cane.

Kepan bites my father hard on the arm and my dad screams. Blood falls from my dads arm, but I don't care about the terror because I want to know. Kepan laughs like a maniac as he goes flying back into the swirling portal. The gateway closes up, and I'm finally free from the spell. I can see my dad rip a bit of his clothing, and Wrap it around him. He looks at me with these angry eyes. I begin to cry in shame for disobeying him.

"I'm sorry dad, I didn't know. I should've listened to you. Please forgive me dad. I'm sorry dad," I wail.

My dad stares at me. "Since you've disobeyed, you're losing your swing," he tells me.

"You mean I can't swing here anymore?" I reply with a gulp.

My father stares at me. "That's right, and to make sure you never go near this tree ever again. I'm cutting it down, which is what I should've done in the first place."

"Why didn't you cut it down if you knew about this?" I asked in a settled down voice.

My mom looks and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Your Uncle Kepan Cooper was family and although we were disgusted by him, he was part of our clan no matter how twisted he was."

"Only thing is that he crossed the line by biting me, and attempting to eat you," my dad grumbled in such hatred.

The next day the tree was cut down, and I tell you that I could hear Kepan's scream along with others. My parents told me the history of Kepan Cooper. He was a closet dark thief, which was someone that used magic to help him invent tricks. He had supposedly made a pact with an evil spirit to learn how to morph into things without the use of materials, but on the night of a heist he'd planned, he got shot by an officer. His soul supposedly was sealed by the evil spirit into a small growing tree, which was taken by a thief that was later given to my dad. My parents left it at that, but I've done research, and have found things, which are rather horrifying. I see that sometimes a family tree has dark roots, which we'd rather hide because we don't want to ruin the family a name, yet we can't ignore those dark roots because they are part of the flock.


End file.
